Proverbs 27

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.

2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;

an outsider, and not your own lips.

3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden,

but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,

but who can stand before jealousy?

5 Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,

but an enemy multiplies kisses.

7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb,

but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

8 Like a bird that flees its nest

is anyone who flees from home.

9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,

and the pleasantness of a friend

springs from their heartfelt advice.

10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,

and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—

better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;

then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,

but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;

hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.

14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,

it will be taken as a curse.

15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping

of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;

16 restraining her is like restraining the wind

or grasping oil with the hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron,

so one person sharpens another.

18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and whoever protects their master will be honored.

19 As water reflects the face,

so one’s life reflects the heart.

20 Death and Destruction are never satisfied,

and neither are human eyes.

21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but people are tested by their praise.

22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar,

grinding them like grain with a pestle,

you will not remove their folly from them.

23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,

give careful attention to your herds;

24 for riches do not endure forever,

and a crown is not secure for all generations.

25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears

and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,

and the goats with the price of a field.

27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family

and to nourish your female servants.

1 Boast not thyself of to morrow;

For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;

A stranger, and not thine own lips.

3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty;

But a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.

4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous;

But who is able to stand before envy?

5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb;

But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest,

So is a man that wandereth from his place.

9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart:

So doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not;

Neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity:

For better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,

That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself;

But the simple pass on, and are punished.

13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger,

And take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

It shall be counted a curse to him.

15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike.

16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind,

And the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

17 Iron sharpeneth iron;

So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof:

So he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

19 As in water face answereth to face,

So the heart of man to man.

20 Hell and destruction are never full;

So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold;

So is a man to his praise.

22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle,

Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,

And look well to thy herds.

24 For riches are not for ever:

And doth the crown endure to every generation?

25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself,

And herbs of the mountains are gathered.

26 The lambs are for thy clothing,

And the goats are the price of the field.

27 And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food,

For the food of thy household,

And for the maintenance for thy maidens.

1 Don’t brag about tomorrow,

since you don’t know what the day will bring.

2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—

a stranger, not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.

4 Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,

but jealousy is even more dangerous.

5 An open rebuke

is better than hidden love!

6 Wounds from a sincere friend

are better than many kisses from an enemy.

7 A person who is full refuses honey,

but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.

8 A person who strays from home

is like a bird that strays from its nest.

9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend

is as sweet as perfume and incense.

10 Never abandon a friend—

either yours or your father’s.

When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance.

It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away.

11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad.

Then I will be able to answer my critics.

12 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.

The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

13 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.

Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.

14 A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning

will be taken as a curse!

15 A quarrelsome wife is as annoying

as constant dripping on a rainy day.

16 Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind

or trying to hold something with greased hands.

17 As iron sharpens iron,

so a friend sharpens a friend.

18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit,

so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.

19 As a face is reflected in water,

so the heart reflects the real person.

20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied,

so human desire is never satisfied.

21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,

but a person is tested by being praised.

22 You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,

even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.

23 Know the state of your flocks,

and put your heart into caring for your herds,

24 for riches don’t last forever,

and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.

25 After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears

and the mountain grasses are gathered in,

26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,

and your goats will provide the price of a field.

27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,

your family, and your servant girls.

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;

A stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

4 Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,

But who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 Open rebuke is better

Than love carefully concealed.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

7 A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,

But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest

Is a man who wanders from his place.

9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart,

And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,

Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;

Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,

That I may answer him who reproaches me.

12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;

The simple pass on and are punished.

13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,

And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

It will be counted a curse to him.

15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike;

16 Whoever restrains her restrains the wind,

And grasps oil with his right hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron,

So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

18 Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;

So he who waits on his master will be honored.

19 As in water face reflects face,

So a man’s heart reveals the man.

20 Hell and Destruction are never full;

So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And a man is valued by what others say of him.

22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,

And attend to your herds;

24 For riches are not forever,

Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

25 When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,

And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

26 The lambs will provide your clothing,

And the goats the price of a field;

27 You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,

For the food of your household,

And the nourishment of your maidservants.

1 Don’t brag about tomorrow;

you don’t know what may happen then.

2 Don’t praise yourself. Let someone else do it.

Let the praise come from a stranger and not from your own mouth.

3 Stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,

but a complaining fool is worse than either.

4 Anger is cruel and destroys like a flood,

but no one can put up with jealousy!

5 It is better to correct someone openly

than to have love and not show it.

6 The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you,

but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies.

7 When you are full, not even honey tastes good,

but when you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.

8 A person who leaves his home

is like a bird that leaves its nest.

9 The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant,

and so is good advice from a friend.

10 Don’t forget your friend or your parent’s friend.

Don’t always go to your family for help when trouble comes.

A neighbor close by is better than a family far away.

11 Be wise, my child, and make me happy.

Then I can respond to any insult.

12 The wise see danger ahead and avoid it,

but fools keep going and get into trouble.

13 Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger’s loan,

and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes.

14 If you loudly greet your neighbor early in the morning,

he will think of it as a curse.

15 A quarreling wife is as bothersome

as a continual dripping on a rainy day.

16 Stopping her is like stopping the wind

or trying to grab oil in your hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron,

so people can improve each other.

18 Whoever tends a fig tree gets to eat its fruit,

and whoever takes care of his master will receive honor.

19 As water reflects your face,

so your mind shows what kind of person you are.

20 People will never stop dying and being destroyed,

and they will never stop wanting more than they have.

21 A hot furnace tests silver and gold,

and people are tested by the praise they receive.

22 Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in a bowl,

you couldn’t remove the foolishness.

23 Be sure you know how your sheep are doing,

and pay attention to the condition of your cattle.

24 Riches will not go on forever,

nor do governments go on forever.

25 Bring in the hay, and let the new grass appear.

Gather the grass from the hills.

26 Make clothes from the lambs’ wool,

and sell some goats to buy a field.

27 There will be plenty of goat’s milk

to feed you and your family

and to make your servant girls healthy.

1 Boast not thyself of to-morrow;

For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;

A stranger, and not thine own lips.

3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty;

But a fool’s vexation is heavier than they both.

4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming;

But who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 Better is open rebuke

Than love that is hidden.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

But the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

7 The full soul loatheth a honeycomb;

But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest,

So is a man that wandereth from his place.

9 Oil and perfume rejoice the heart;

So doth the sweetness of a man’s friend that cometh of hearty counsel.

10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not;

And go not to thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity:

Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,

That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

12 A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself;

But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger;

And hold him in pledge that is surety for a foreign woman.

14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

It shall be counted a curse to him.

15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike:

16 He that would restrain her restraineth the wind;

And his right hand encountereth oil.

17 Iron sharpeneth iron;

So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

18 Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof;

And he that regardeth his master shall be honored.

19 As in water face answereth to face,

So the heart of man to man.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied;

And the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold;

And a man is tried by his praise.

22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain,

Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,

And look well to thy herds:

24 For riches are not for ever:

And doth the crown endure unto all generations?

25 The hay is carried, and the tender grass showeth itself,

And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.

26 The lambs are for thy clothing,

And the goats are the price of the field;

27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household,

And maintenance for thy maidens.

1 Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth.

2 Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s vexation is heavier than them both. 4 Fury is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 Open rebuke is better than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

7 The full soul trampleth on a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; and the sweetness of one’s friend is the fruit of hearty counsel. 10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; and go not into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me.

12 A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; the simple pass on, and are punished.

13 Take his garment that is become surety for another, and hold him in pledge for a strange woman.

14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be reckoned a curse to him.

15 A continual dropping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike: 16 whosoever will restrain her restraineth the wind, and his right hand encountereth oil.

17 Iron is sharpened by iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

18 Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; and he that guardeth his master shall be honoured.

19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

20 Sheol and destruction are insatiable; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; so let a man be to the mouth that praiseth him.

22 If thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his folly depart from him.

23 Be well acquainted with the appearance of thy flocks; look well to thy herds: 24 for wealth is not for ever; and doth the crown endure from generation to generation? 25 The hay is removed, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered in. 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of a field; 27 and there is goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and sustenance for thy maidens.

1 Do not brag about tomorrow, 

because you do not know what another day may bring. 

2 Praise should come from another person and not from your own mouth, 

from a stranger and not from your own lips. 

3 A stone is heavy, and sand weighs a lot, 

but annoyance caused by a stubborn fool is heavier than both. 

4 Anger is cruel, and fury is overwhelming, 

but who can survive jealousy? 

5 Open criticism is better than unexpressed love. 

6 Wounds made by a friend are intended to help, 

but an enemy’s kisses are too much to bear. 

7 One who is full despises honey, 

but to one who is hungry, 

even bitter food tastes sweet. 

8 Like a bird wandering from its nest, 

so is a husband wandering from his home. 

9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, 

but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest.

10 Do not abandon your friend or your father’s friend. 

Do not go to a relative’s home when you are in trouble. 

A neighbor living nearby is better than a relative far away. 

11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad 

so that I can answer anyone who criticizes me. 

12 Sensible people foresee trouble and hide. 

Gullible people go ahead ⸤and⸥ suffer. 

13 Hold on to the garment of one who guarantees a stranger’s loan, 

and hold responsible the person 

who makes a loan in behalf of a foreigner. 

14 Whoever blesses his friend early in the morning with a loud voice— 

his blessing is considered a curse. 

15 Constantly dripping water on a rainy day is like a quarreling woman. 

16 Whoever can control her can control the wind. 

He can even pick up olive oil with his right hand. 

17 ⸤As⸥ iron sharpens iron, 

so one person sharpens the wits of another. 

18 Whoever takes care of a fig tree can eat its fruit, 

and whoever protects his master is honored. 

19 As a face is reflected in water, 

so a person is reflected by his heart. 

20 Hell and decay are never satisfied, 

and a person’s eyes are never satisfied. 

21 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, 

but a person ⸤is tested⸥ by the praise given to him. 

22 If you crush a stubborn fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, 

⸤even then⸥ his stupidity will not leave him. 

23 Be fully aware of the condition of your flock, 

and pay close attention to your herds. 

24 Wealth is not forever. 

Nor does a crown last from one generation to the next. 

25 ⸤When⸥ grass is cut short, the tender growth appears, 

and vegetables are gathered on the hills. 

26 Lambs ⸤will provide⸥ you with clothing, 

and the money from the male goats will buy a field. 

27 There will be enough goat milk to feed you, 

to feed your family, 

and to keep your servant girls alive. 

1 Don’t boast about tomorrow,

for you don’t know what a day might bring.

2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—

a stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand, a burden,

but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

4 Fury is cruel, and anger a flood,

but who can withstand jealousy?

5 Better an open reprimand

than concealed love.

6 The wounds of a friend are trustworthy,

but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.

7 A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb,

but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.

8 A man wandering from his home

is like a bird wandering from its nest.

9 Oil and incense bring joy to the heart,

and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel.

10 Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend,

and don’t go to your brother’s house

in your time of calamity;

better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 Be wise, my son, and bring my heart joy,

so that I can answer anyone who taunts me.

12 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover;

the inexperienced keep going and are punished.

13 Take his garment,

for he has put up security for a stranger;

get collateral if it is for foreigners.

14 If one blesses his neighbor

with a loud voice early in the morning,

it will be counted as a curse to him.

15 An endless dripping on a rainy day

and a nagging wife are alike.

16 The one who controls her controls the wind

and grasps oil with his right hand.

17 Iron sharpens iron,

and one man sharpens another.

18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and whoever looks after his master will be honored.

19 As water reflects the face,

so the heart reflects the person.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and people’s eyes are never satisfied.

21 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,

and a man for the words of his praise.

22 Though you grind a fool

in a mortar with a pestle along with grain,

you will not separate his foolishness from him.

23 Know well the condition of your flock,

and pay attention to your herds,

24 for wealth is not forever;

not even a crown lasts for all time.

25 When hay is removed and new growth appears

and the grain from the hills is gathered in,

26 lambs will provide your clothing,

and goats, the price of a field;

27 there will be enough goat’s milk for your food—

food for your household

and nourishment for your female servants.

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.

2 Let another praise you and not your own mouth,

a stranger and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,

but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,

but who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

6 Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts,

but profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

7 The sated appetite spurns honey,

but to a ravenous appetite even the bitter is sweet.

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest

is one who strays from home.

9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad,

but the soul is torn by trouble.

10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent;

do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity.

Better is a neighbor who is nearby

than kindred who are far away.

11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,

so that I may answer whoever reproaches me.

12 The clever see danger and hide,

but the simple go on and suffer for it.

13 Take the garment of one who has given surety for a stranger;

seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners.

14 Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice,

rising early in the morning,

will be counted as cursing.

15 A continual dripping on a rainy day

and a contentious wife are alike;

16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind

or to grasp oil in the right hand.

17 Iron sharpens iron,

and one person sharpens the wits of another.

18 Anyone who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and anyone who takes care of a master will be honored.

19 Just as water reflects the face,

so one human heart reflects another.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and human eyes are never satisfied.

21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

so a person is tested by being praised.

22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle

along with crushed grain,

but the folly will not be driven out.

23 Know well the condition of your flocks,

and give attention to your herds,

24 for riches do not last forever,

nor a crown for all generations.

25 When the grass is gone, and new growth appears,

and the herbage of the mountains is gathered,

26 the lambs will provide your clothing,

and the goats the price of a field;

27 there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,

for the food of your household

and nourishment for your female servants.

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what the day will bring.

2 May another praise you and not your own mouth,

a stranger and not your own lips.

3 Heavy is a stone and weighty is sand,

but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

4 Cruel is wrath and overwhelming is anger,

but who will stand before jealousy?

5 Better a rebuke that is open

than a love that is hidden.

6 The wounds of a friend mean well,

but the kisses of an enemy are profane.

7 An appetite that is sated spurns honey,

but to an appetite that is ravenous, all bitterness is sweet.

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest,

so is a man who strays from his place.

9 Perfume and incense will gladden a heart,

and the pleasantness of one’s friend is personal advice.

10 As for your friend and a friend of your father, do not forsake them,

and the house of your brother, do not enter on the day of your calamity.

Better is a close neighbor than a distant brother.

11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,

and I will answer him who reproaches me with a word.

12 When the clever sees danger, he hides;

the simple go on and suffer.

13 Take his garment, for he gives surety to a stranger,

and to an adulteress—so take his pledge.

14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice

early in the morning,

a curse will be reckoned to him.

15 Dripping constantly on a day of heavy rain

and a woman of contention are alike.

16 In restraining her, he restrains wind,

and his right hand will grasp oil.

17 As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another.

18 He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and he who guards his master will be honored.

19 As the waters reflect face to face,

so the heart of a person reflects the person.

20 Sheol and Abaddon will not be satisfied,

and the eyes of a person will not be satisfied either.

21 A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace for the gold,

but a man is tested by the mouth of him who praises him.

22 If you crush a fool in the mortar with the pestle along with the crushed grain,

it will not drive folly from upon him.

23 You will surely know the condition of your flock;

your heart attends to the herds.

24 For riches are not forever,

nor a crown for generation after generation.

25 When the grass is gone, then green growth will appear,

and the herbs of the mountains will be gathered.

26 Lambs will be your clothing,

and goats the price of the field.

27 And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,

for the food of your household and the nourishment of your maidservants.

1 Don’t brag about tomorrow.

You don’t know what a day will bring.

2 Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth.

Let someone else praise you, and not your own lips.

3 Stones are heavy. Sand weighs a lot.

But letting a foolish person make you angry is a heavier load than both of them.

4 Anger is mean. Great anger overpowers you.

But who can face jealousy?

5 Being warned openly is better

than being loved in secret.

6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted.

But an enemy kisses you many times.

7 When you are full, you even hate honey.

When you are hungry, even what is bitter tastes sweet.

8 A man who wanders away from his home

is like a bird that wanders from its nest.

9 Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart.

And a friend is sweeter when he gives you honest advice.

10 Don’t desert your friend or your father’s friend.

And don’t go to your family when trouble strikes you.

A neighbor nearby is better than a family member far away.

11 My child, be wise and bring joy to my heart.

Then I can answer anyone who makes fun of me.

12 Wise people see danger and go to a safe place.

But childish people keep on going and suffer for it.

13 Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes.

Hold it until you get paid back if he does it for a woman who commits adultery.

14 Suppose you loudly bless your neighbor early in the morning.

Then you might as well be calling down a curse on him.

15 A nagging wife is like

dripping that never stops on a rainy day.

16 Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind.

It’s like trying to grab oil with your hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron,

so one person sharpens another.

18 A person who takes good care of a fig tree will eat its fruit.

And a person who looks after his master will be honored.

19 When you look into water, you see a likeness of your face.

When you look into your heart, you see what you are really like.

20 Death and the Grave are never satisfied.

A man’s eyes are never satisfied either.

21 Fire tests silver. Heat tests gold.

But a man is tested by the praise he receives.

22 You can grind a foolish person in a mill.

You can grind him as you would grind grain with a tool.

But you can’t remove his foolishness from him.

23 Be sure you know how your flocks are doing.

Pay careful attention to your herds.

24 Riches don’t last forever.

And a crown is not secure for all time to come.

25 The hay is removed, and new growth appears.

The grass from the hills is gathered in.

26 Then your lambs will provide you with clothes.

And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field.

27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk.

It will feed you and your family.

It will also feed your female servants.

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,

For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

A stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,

But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,

But who can stand before jealousy?

5 Better is open rebuke

Than love that is concealed.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

7 A sated man loathes honey,

But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.

8 Like a bird that wanders from her nest,

So is a man who wanders from his home.

9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.

10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,

And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;

Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,

That I may reply to him who reproaches me.

12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,

The naive proceed and pay the penalty.

13 Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;

And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge.

14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,

It will be reckoned a curse to him.

15 A constant dripping on a day of steady rain

And a contentious woman are alike;

16 He who would restrain her restrains the wind,

And grasps oil with his right hand.

17 Iron sharpens iron,

So one man sharpens another.

18 He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,

And he who cares for his master will be honored.

19 As in water face reflects face,

So the heart of man reflects man.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

21 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And each is tested by the praise accorded him.

22 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

23 Know well the condition of your flocks,

And pay attention to your herds;

24 For riches are not forever,

Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,

And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

26 The lambs will be for your clothing,

And the goats will bring the price of a field,

27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food,

For the food of your household,

And sustenance for your maidens.